Saturday, December 6, 2014

Illicit Drugs: Half of America Belongs in Prison

First Published in DelawareLiberal on 12/6/2014 by ProgressivePopulist

According to research by The Drug Policy Alliance, half of Americans
have been in possession of illegal drugs at least once in their
lifetime.

Of those approximately 150 million, l percent, or 1.6%
are sent to prison, state or federal, for drug offenses. Five million
of our fellow citizens, or nearly 4% , are under criminal justice
supervision for drug convictions.

Half of these are for marijuana
possession, according to the ACLU. America, over 45% of of us are just
damned lucky not to have been caught. Yes, our government declared war
on the majority of us in the 80's. Thanks Ronald Reagan. Oh, and he
was supported by many cringing liberals who didn't want to speak out
intelligently about America's huge drug problem. Licit and illicit.
Yes,
this is a cultural problem. And it is a corporate problem too. The
majority of our medical treatments entail prescribing drugs, starting
when we are little kids. Most of these drugs mask the medical problem
or relieve pain from it, not cure the disorder.

Our psychotropic
medications are largely based on science that doesn't understand how or
why they work; they just do, so they get prescribed. That's millions of
us with mental health disorders.
The pharmaceutical industry is
huge and is allowed to heavily promote their drugs to consumers who
can't directly order them. But they can and do plead with the doctor
for their use. We can thank the broadcast, print media and internet
providers as well as the advertising industry for their complicity in
our cultural drug problem.

We all see drugs as a way to blunt pain
or discomfort, whether they are for medical or recreational use, legal
or illegal. Why do our legislators, medical, law enforcement
professionals not see the obvious? Looks to me like the pharma lobby
and industry that pays them (lobbyists and legislators alike) can bear
most of the responsibility.

Our drug culture even drives our
foreign policy, at least as it relates to Afghanistan where we've
invested 13 years of homeland treasure and lives and limbs. Our nation
building appears to have turned them into a narco state producing 90 %
of the world's heroin supply. Way to go. Create the drugs, then
launch a war against them. Business calls this vertical integration.

But
we Americans do not rise up, do not demand a more intelligent solution
to get to the root of both drug dependency and medical research to cure
and repair. Masking is just easier and for many, completely
comfortable. And when we are comfortable, we don't act.

Sure, I'd
rather be comfortable than in pain, psychic or physical. But Isn't it
time, after over 30 years of defeat in our War On Drugs that we stop,
question and fix the huge damage it has done to our society ?

About Me

Moved to Wilmington, Delaware in mid-2013. Resided in Houston, Texas for 45 years. A widower, married Julie Jackson in 2007. Retired as a hospital marketing consultant in 2001.Have been a Democratic Party political activist for most of my adult life, organizing and mobilizing for the Party and its candidates. Consider myself a progressive populist. Early career included running communications for 35 campaigns. Have formed and led committees dealing with voter mobilization and precinct organizing, counter voter suppression and strategy.Co-founded the Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party. Have served on the Texas Democratic Party Platform Committee numerous times. Also an active organizer for the anti-war movement since Vietnam and was active in the civil rights movement.